Detection arrangement of winding speed on a take-up winder

ABSTRACT

Improvement in or relating to an arrangement for detecting winding speed of running strandular materials on a multiple packages on a common spindle type take-up winder having multiple compensator arms with dancer rolls for the strandular materials independently operable, upon speed deviation of the strandular materials, on a common shaft connected to a unit for controlling the spindle rotational speed and the detection is carried out with possible minimum tension fluctuation within and/or between the strandular materials.

United States Patent Nakai et al.

[451 June 27, 1972 [54] DETECTION ARRANGEMENT OF WINDING SPEED ON ATAKE-UP WINDER inventors: Shoji Nakal; Akio Higuchi, both of Osaka,

Japan Kabushiki Kakha Kamitsu Seisakusho, ltami-shi, Hyogo-ken, JapanFiled: May 18, 1970 Appl. No.: 38,418

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Date May 21, 1969 Japan ..44 3s749 {56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,350,022 10/1967 Bense ..242/4s3,048,343 8/1962 Keith .242/45 Primary Examiner-Stanley N. GilreathAssistant Examiner-Milton Gerstein Attorney-Milton J. Wayne [5 7]ABSTRACT Improvement in or relating to an arrangement for detectingwinding speed of running strandular materials on a multiple packages ona common spindle type take-up winder having multiple compensator armswith dancer rolls for the strandular materials independently operable,upon speed deviation of the strandular materials, on a common shaftconnected to a unit for controlling the spindle rotational speed and thedetection is carried out with possible minimum tension fluctuationwithin and/or between the strandular materials.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures P'A'TENTEnaunz? m2 SHEET 1 [IF 3 INVENTOR\uuuuuuuuuu aux:

SHEET 2 [IF 3 PATENTEDJUNN I972 v I y 2 h WEE m 2 INVENTOR PKTENTED Jun2 7 m2 SHEET 3 [IF 3 INVENTOR DETECTION ARRANGEMENT F WINDING SPEED ON ATAKE-UP WINDER The present invention concerns improvement in or relatingto a detection arrangement of winding speed on a take-up winder, moreparticularly concerns an improved winding speed detecting arrangementfor strandular materials such as, for example, yarns wound on a take-upwinder wherein multiple bobbins or packages are mounted on a commonrotational spindle in an axial alignment and the strandular materialsare wound on the corresponding packages at given supply speed.

In the conventionalarrangement of the take-up winder of theabove-described type, the strandular materials are processed at aconstant speed from given supply sources to the packages viacorresponding rolls supported by compensator arms. The severalcompensator arms are at their ends mounted on a common shaft connectedto a control mechanism. With fluctuating change in the speed of theprocessed strandular material, the corresponding roll changes itslocation causing corresponding axial turning of the common shaft via acompensator arm and this turning is sensed by the control mechanism. Thecontrol mechanism issues, upon the sensing, corresponding signals toaffect the rotational speed of the spindle driving motor and therotational speed of the spindle is controlled so as to compensate thefluctuating change in the speed of that strandular material. Because thecompensator anns are fixedly mounted, at their ends, on a common shaft,the control effect caused by the speed fluctuation of one strandularmaterial is inevitably imposed upon the processing condition of theother strandular materials of normal speed. This means that the imposedcontrol effect on one strandular material disturbs the normal processingcondition of the remaining strandular materials.

One typical attempt to mitigate the above-mentioned drawback wasdisclosed by W. M. Bense in his U. S. Pat. No. 3,350,022 in whicharrangement respective compensator arms act independently upon a commonshaft connected to a control unit for efiecting the rotational speed ofthe common spindle supporting the multiple packages. As far as the yarnbreakage is concerned, this arrangement has no trouble. But, when thefluctuating change in the yarn speed is to be compensated, thisarrangement is accompanied with the following fatal drawbacks. Asabove-mentioned, respective compensator arms act independently upon thecommon shaft which is rotationally urged into pressure contact with therespective compensator arms by springs, the number of which correspondsto the number of the compensator arms. Assuming that two strands ofyarns are processed, the common shaft is urged against the twocompensator arms by two sets of springs. Lowering in the winding speedof the first yarn causes movement of the first compensator arm away fromcontact with the common shaft. Then the urging force exerted on thecommon shaft by the two sets of springs has to be borne by the secondcompensator arm only and this naturally causes undesirable increase inthe tension of the second yarn for which the second compensator arm isresponsible. Thusly, the tensioning condition of the second yarn isbrought out of order. This means that the operation for compensating thespeed lowering of the first yarn unnecessarily causes an undesirableincrease in the tension of the second yarn.

The winding speed detecting arrangement of the present inventionproposes to eliminate drawbacks inevitably encountered in the prior art.

Further, the winding speed detecting arrangement of the presentinvention proposes to ascertain an effective speed compensation using asimplified mechanical arrangement.

In order to attain the objects of the invention, the winding speeddetection arrangement of the present invention is provided with aplurality of compensator arms having respective dancer rolls for thecorresponding strandular materials. Means for urging the compensatorsindependently from each other is provided so as to impose pertinenttension on the strandular materials. The compensator arms areindependently operable upon a common shaft connected to a unit forcontrolling the take-up speed of the strandular materials. Movement ofany of the compensator arms caused by the speed fluctuation of thestrandular material passing around the corresponding dancer roll causesaxial turning of the common shaft and this turning agitates the controlunit so as to change the take-up speed, thereby the speed fluctuationbeing duly compensated with possible minimum tension fluctuation withinand/or between the strandular materials.

Further features and merits of the present invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the appended drawings in which like numbers refer to like elementsthroughout.

FIG. IA is a partly sectional front view of a principal embodiment ofthe winding speed detecting arrangement of the present invention whereintwo sets of strandular materials are processed,

FIG. 1B is apartly sectional side view of the arrangement seen in adirection IBIB in FIG. 1A,

FIG. 2 is a partly omitted diagrammatic perspective view for showingmechanism for tensioning the strandular materials in the arrangementshown in FIGS. 1A and 18,

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional front view of a main part of a modificationof the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1A and 18,

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional front view of an embodiment of the windingspeed detection arrangement of the present invention suited for use in apractical mill production,

FIG. 5 is a partly sectional front view of another embodiment of thearrangement of the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a partly sectional front view of a modification of thearrangement shown in FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is a partlyv omitted diagrammatic perspective view for showingmechanism for tensioning the strandular materials in the arrangementshown in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 18, a principal embodiment of the arrangementof the present invention is shown being employed in a winder wherein twopackages are mounted for winding purpose on a common spindle. In theshown arrangement, the first strandular material la passes over a dancerroll 2a (first) mounted on a free extremity of a compensator arm 3a(first) while the second strandular material lb passes over anotherdancer roll 2b (second) mounted on a free extremity of a compensator arm3b (second). Passing over the dancer rolls 2a and 2b, both strandularmaterials la and lb advance from given supply sources to the respectivepackages for winding purposes at constant supply speed. Approximately inparallelism with the axial direction of the dancer rolls 2a and 2b, acommon shaft 4 is disposed in an axially tumable arrangement. One end ofthe common shaft 4 is connected to a unit (not shown) for controllingrotational speed of the common spindle on which the two packages aremounted. In the shown embodiment, common shaft 4 is provided with a hook5 peripherally fixed thereto and a tension spring 6 is at its one endconnected to the hook 5 and at its other end fixed to a stationary stopas shown in FIG. 1B. This spring force slightly urges the common shaft 4to axially turn in a direction to speed up the rotational speed of thecommon spindle via the control unit. However, the spring force providedby the spring 6 should not be designed so strongly as to effect thetensioning condition of the processed strandular materials. In the caseof the illustration shown in FIG. 1B, the common shaft 4 is urged in acounterclockwise direction by the spring force of the spring 6. A disc 7(first) is mounted on the common shaft 4 in an axially rotational andcoaxial arrangement via bearings 8 and the compensator arm 3a isradially and fixedly supported by the disc 7 via bracket 9 fixed to oneside surface of the disc 7. Therefore, the swing of the compensator arm3a around the axis of the common shaft 4 causes axial turning of thefirst disc 7 around the common shaft 4. In an axial alignment with thecommon shaft 4, another shaft 1 1 is disposed in a separate androtational arrangement. Another disc 12 (second) is axially and fixedlymounted on the other shaft via a set screw 13 in a distantly facingarrangement with the first disc 7 on the common shafi 4. Another end ofthe shaft 11 is provided, via a fixed collar 14, with the radially andfixedly mounted compensator arm 3b. Being spacedly sandwiched by the twodiscs 7 and 12, an intermediate disc is coaxially and fixedly mounted onthe common shaft 4 via a set screw 16.

The first disc 7 is provided with a rod 17 projecting from a sidesurface of the disc 7 towards the second disc 12 whereas the second disc12 is provided with a rod 18 projecting from a side surface of the disc12 towards the first disc 7. Further, the intermediate disc 15 isprovided with two radially extending rods 19 and 20, the former beingpositioned for engagement with the rod 17 of the first disc 7 and thelatter with the rod 18 of the second disc 12. Viewing the illustrationgiven in FIG. 1B, the common shaft 4 together with the rods 19 and 20 isurged in a counterclockwise direction by the spring 6. Therefore, therod 17 is put in contact with the rod 19 and the rod 18 is also put incontact with the rod 20.

In order to impose a pertinent tension on the strandular materialsindependently from each other, one embodiment of the mechanism forurging the compensator arms independently from each other is shown inFIG. 2. In the shown embodiment, one end of the first disc 7 is formedas a pulley 40 and the shaft 11 is provided with another pulley 41fixedly mounted thereon. Both pulleys 40 and 41 are connected via ropes,chains or belts 42 and 43 to given tension sources (not shown),respectively. The tension sources are independent from each other andprovide forces to turn the pulleys 40 and 41 counterclockwisely aroundthe axial center of the shafts 4 and 11. This force may betime-functionally adjusted by the tension sources in known manner as thewinding operation proceeds. The counterclockwise turning of the pulleys40 and 41 naturally causes turning of the compensator arms 30 and 3b ina direction to tension the strandular materials via dancer rolls 2a and2b. It should be appreciated that both the tensioning of the strandularmaterials and the adjustment of the force to effectuate the tensioningare carried out perfectly independently from each other and thestrandular materials.

The operation of the tension control device of the present inventionwill now be discussed.

Assuming that the take-up speed of the first strandular material 1a isaccidentally increased, the first compensator arm 3a tends to swingclockwise in FIG. lBfFollowing this clockwise swinging of thecompensator arm 31:, the first disc 7 also starts to turn in a clockwisedirection and the rod 17 pushes the rod 19 of the intermediate disc 15.This causes clockwise axial turning of the common shaft 4 via theintermediate disc 15 overcoming the counterclockwise urging force by thespring 6. This clockwise turning of the common shaft 4 is sensed by thealready explained control unit, which accordingly provides lowering ofthe rotational speed of the common spindle. This lowering of the spindlerotational speed causes slowing down of the take-up speed of thestrandular material. At the moment of this clockwise turning of thecommon shaft 4 for the compensation, the rod 20 of the intermediate disc15 turns remotely from contact with the rod 18 of the second disc 12 andthe arrangement relating to the second strandular material 1b isdisconnected from the common shaft 4. Therefore, compensation for thespeed fluctuation of one strandular material can be performed withpossible minimum tension fluctuation between the strandular materials.

Again assuming that the speed of the second strandular material lb isincreased accidentally, the second compensator arm 3b swings clockwiselycausing a clockwise axial turning of the shaft 11. This causes clockwiseurging of the common shaft 4 via rods 18, 20 and the intermediate disc15. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the common spindle is sloweddown by the control unit and the take-up speed of the second strandularmaterial recovers its initial state. At the moment of the clockwiseturning of the common shaft 4, the rod 19 of the intermediate disc 15moves remotely away from the rod 17 of the first disc 7 resulting in thedisconnection of the arrangement relating to the first strandularmaterial la from the common shaft 4. Therefore, in this case also, thecompensation of the speed fluctuation of one strandular material can becarried out without any side effect on the tensioning condition of thestrandular materials.

In the actual utilization of the arrangement of the present invention,it was found to be undesirable that both compensator rolls are differentin their vertical locational level. Pro vided that the take-up speed ofthe second strandular material 1b decreases for some reason and thestrandular material In is processed at normal speed, then there will beno change in the rotational speed of the common spindle. Decrease in thetakeup speed causes slacking of the second strandular material 1b andthis slacking causes downward swinging of the second compensator arm 3baway from the first compensator arm 3a. Because there is no change inthe spindle rotational speed, slacking of the second strandular material1b is accumulated as the winding operation proceeds and the secondcompensator arm 3b further moves downward and, finally, it becomesdifficult to continue the winding of the second strandular material 1b.This trouble is caused by the fact that the respective strandularmaterials are tensioned independently from each other. So, in theabove-described circumstance, it is necessary to make the take-up speedsof the both strandular materials similar to each other. In other words,it is necessary to slow the take-up speed of the first strandularmaterial while increasing the take-up speed of the second strandularmaterial. This mutual approach of the take-up speeds is achieved byincreasing the force to urge the first compensator arm 30 and bydecreasing the force to urge the second compensator arm 3b. Increase inthe urging force results in the increase in the tension of thestrandular material and this tension increase causes hard winding. Onthe contrary, decrease in the urging force causes soft winding. Thuslythe difference between the take-up speeds can be minimized. This is donethrough relating the urging force of one strandular material to that ofthe other strandular material to a pertinent extent. Therefore, it ispreferable to restrict, to an acceptable extent, the pivotal movement ofone compensator arm in relation to the pivotal location of the other,compensator arm. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is designed so as tomeet this requirement.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first disc 7 is provided with asupporter arm 21 radially extending therefrom via the bracket 9 and thesupporter arm 21 is at its free extremity provided with a magneticmember 22. The second disc 12 is also provided with another supporterarm 23 radially extending therefrom and the supporter arm 23 is at itsfree extremity provided with a threaded shaft 24. The threaded shaft 24passes through a threaded hole of the supporter arm 23 and is providedat its one end with a magnet 25 spacedly facing the magnetic member 22.Due to the magnetic attraction between the magnetic member 22 and themagnet 25, a considerable pivotal movement of the compensator arm 30from the pivotal location of the compensator arm 3b can be obviated.

In other words, a braking action is exerted on the pivotal movement ofthe compensator arms by the above-described magnetic arrangement.Therefore, a moment to brake the pivotal movement of the compensatorarms is created by the magnetic attraction force of the magneticarrangement. The magnetic attraction force between the two elements 22and 25 can be adjusted by changing the distance between them throughadjustment on the threaded shaft 24. In this connection, the distanceshould be so selected that the magnetic braking moment does not exceedthe moment created by the minimum but necessary tension to be imposed onthe strandular materials. Once the distance is duly settled, themagnetic braking action does not disturb the precise and smooth sensingof the speed deviation of the strandular materials by the arrangement ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the arrangement of the present inventionin a style actually used in the mill production process, in whichembodiment the mechanical construction and its operational features arealmost the same with those of the principal embodiment shown in FIGS.1A, 1B, 2 and 3.

Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the arrangement of thepresent invention is shown, which embodiment is particularly suited fora case when three or more packages are mounted on a common spindle.Although the shown embodiment is proposed for three packages on a commonspindle type winder, the mechanism can be propagated to a greater numberof packages on a common spindle. In the shown arrangement, the deviceincludes three speed detecting sets 26a, 26b and 26, each set havingquite similar mechanical construction.

The set 26a includes a first disc 27a tumably and coaxially mounted onthe common shaft 4 via bearings and a second disc 28a fixedly andcoaxially mounted on the common shaft 4 in a suitably spaced arrangementfrom the first disc 27a. A compensator arm 3a is radially fixed to thefirst disc 27a and a dancer roll 2a is disposed thereto with astrandular material 1a passing therearound. The first disc 27a isprovided, on its side surface, with a rod 29 a projecting towards thesecond disc 28a whereas the second disc 28a is provided with a radiallyfixed rod 30a. The common shaft 4 is urged and the two rods 29a and 300are placed in a disconnectable contact as in the case of the precedingembodiment. Swinging of the compensator arm 3a around the axis of thecommon shaft 4 is caused by the take-up speed fluctuation of thestrandular material 1a. This swinging of the compensator arm 3a issensed by the control unit via elements 27a, 29 a, 30a, 28a and 4 andthe control unit changes the rotational speed of the common spindle soas to compensate for the speed fluctuation of the strandular material.

Braking action on the excessive pivotal movement of the compensator arm3a is created by the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, wherein the first disc27a is provided with an axially extending magnetic arm member 31awhereas the second disc 28a is provided with an axially extending arm32a adjustably supporting a magnet 33a via threaded shaft 34a. Themagnet 33a is located spacedly facing the free end portion of themagnetic arm member 31a. By this arrangement, pertinent braking actionis imposed upon the compensator arm 3a as in the case of the embodimentshown in FIG. 3.

In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, it is also necessary toprovide the arrangement with mechanism for urging the compensator armsindependently from each other, which mechanism functions in a mannersimilar to that shown in FIG. 2. One embodiment of such mechanism isshown in FIG. 7, wherein one end of, for example, the first disc 27a isprovided with a pulley on the periphery of which a termination of arope, chain or belt is fixed. Another end of the rope or the like (notshown) is connected to given tension source (not shown) and themechanism functions in a manner basically the same with that in the caseof the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

It is to be understood that the aforementioned tension sources, controlunits, and strand winders having multiple packages on a common spindleare conventional, and examples thereof are shown in the aforementionedU. S. Pat. No. 3,350,022.

What is claimed is:

1. In a winding machine having a plurality of packages mounted on acommon spindle for winding a plurality of individual strands having itsspeed controlled by a control unit,

an individual strand speed compensator device comprising a rotatablefirst shaft connected to the control unit for changing the winding speedby rotation of said first shaft;

biasing means connected to said first shaft to apply a turning forcetending to rotate said first shaft in a winding speed increasingdirection;

a plurality of compensator arms, one arm for each strand, each said armextending radially with respect to said first shaft and freely rotatablethereabout;

an individual first engaging member connected with each said arm andadapted to rotate therewith;

an individual compensator roll mounted at the end of each arm for anindividual strand to pass thereover; individual tension means connectedrespectively to each said compensator arm to apply a predeterminedrotative tension; and

a plurality of second engaging members fixedly connected to said firstshaft, an individual one of said second engaging members being engagedby one of said individual first engaging members upon rotation of therespective compensator arm to thereby cause rotation of said first shaftas an individual strand increases in speed.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which a first disc is provided, saidfirst disc being mounted to rotate freely on said first shaft, and oneof said compensator arms being connected thereto to provide the freerotation thereof.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which a second shaft is axiallyaligned with said first shaft, a second disc is fixedly mounted on saidsecond shaft and includes one of said first engaging members mountedthereon, and an intermediate disc located between said individual firstdisc and said second disc is fixedly mounted on said first shaft wherebyrotation of said first shaft is provided via said intermediate disc byrotative engagement of said individual first and second engagementmembers.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which each one of said firstengaging members comprises a rod extending from a side surface of saidfirst disc, and each one of said second engaging members comprises a rodextending radially from said intermediate disc.

5. A device according to claim 2 in which said tension means comprisesindividual pulleys having tension thereon connected respectively toindividual first discs.

6. A device according to claim 3 in which first magnetic means isconnected to each of said first discs at a radial distance from saidfirst shaft, second magnetic means is connected to each of said seconddiscs at said same radial distance and at a predetermined spacing fromsaid first magnetic means, said spacing being adjustable to provide abraking effect on the rotative movement.

7. A device according to claim 1 in which a plurality of first discs areprovided corresponding in number to said compensator arms, eachindividual first disc being mounted to rotate freely on said firstshaft, said respective compensator arm is connected thereto to providethe free rotation thereof, and a plurality of second discs are provided,each said second disc fixedly mounted on said first shaft, and each oneof said second engaging members is respectively mounted on an individualsecond disc.

1. In a winding machine having a plurality of packages mounted on a common spindle for winding a plurality of individual strands having its speed controlled by a control unit, an individual strand speed compensator device comprising a rotatable first shaft connected to the control unit for changing the winding speed by rotation of said first shaft; biasing means connected to said first shaft to apply a turning force tending to rotate said first shaft in a winding speed increasing direction; a plurality of compensator arms, one arm for each strand, each said arm extending radially with respect to said first shaft and freely rotatable thereabout; an individual first engaging member connected with each said arm and adapted to rotate therewith; an individual compensator roll mounted at the end of each arm for an individual strand to pass thereover; individual tension means connected respectively to each said compensator arm to apply a predetermined rotative tension; and a plurality of second engaging members fixedly connected to said first shaft, an individual one of said second engaging members being engaged by one of said individual first engaging members upon rotation of the respective compensator arm to thereby cause rotation of said first shaft as an individual strand increases in speed.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which a first disc is provided, said first disc being mounted to rotate freely on said first shaft, and one of said compensator arms being connected thereto to provide the free rotation thereof.
 3. A device according to claim 2 in which a second shaft is axially aligned with said first shaft, a second disc is fixedly mounted on said second shaft and includes one of said first engaging members mounted thereon, and an intermediate disc located between said individual first disc and said second disc is fixedly mounted on said first shaft whereby rotation of said first shaft is provided via said intermediate disc by rotative engagement of said individual first and second engagement members.
 4. A device according to claim 3 in which each one of said first engaging members comprises a rod extending from a side surface of said first disc, and each one of said second engaging members comprises a rod extending radially from said intermediate disc.
 5. A device according to claim 2 in which said tension means coMprises individual pulleys having tension thereon connected respectively to individual first discs.
 6. A device according to claim 3 in which first magnetic means is connected to each of said first discs at a radial distance from said first shaft, second magnetic means is connected to each of said second discs at said same radial distance and at a predetermined spacing from said first magnetic means, said spacing being adjustable to provide a braking effect on the rotative movement.
 7. A device according to claim 1 in which a plurality of first discs are provided corresponding in number to said compensator arms, each individual first disc being mounted to rotate freely on said first shaft, said respective compensator arm is connected thereto to provide the free rotation thereof, and a plurality of second discs are provided, each said second disc fixedly mounted on said first shaft, and each one of said second engaging members is respectively mounted on an individual second disc. 